The Bears can point to numbers on the defensive tackle depth chart and make it look like they’re loaded. In reality, the picture is a lot murkier.
Chicago rebuilt the spot almost from scratch, and Jarrett is the lone returning defensive tackle from last season’s team. Shemar Turner could also be counted there if you view him as a defensive tackle, though some do and some don’t. Either way, the group has been turned over in a big way.
That turnover included moving on from Gervon Dexter Sr., who had been the Bears’ top pass-rushing defensive tackle. Just before the 53-man roster was finalized, Chicago traded Dexter to the Atlanta Falcons.
What’s left is a mix of names that could mean anything from a real boost to a whole lot of guesswork: rookie sensation Jordan van den Berg, Kentavius Street, Neville Gallimore, Jayden Loving, and James Lynch. On paper, that sounds like depth.
On paper, it sounds like competition. But the Bears still have to prove it translates.
Jarrett is the first reason for caution. He’s coming off one of the worst seasons of his NFL career after dealing with an injury and struggling to make much of an impact. There’s no automatic rebound waiting for him.
Van den Berg has become the name everyone wants to talk about, and the excitement around him is easy to understand. The rookie has generated buzz that makes it sound like he could surprise the league. Still, he’s a rookie, and he hasn’t had to line up against other top offensive linemen yet, even with strong competition inside the Bears’ building.
The rest of the group comes with even more uncertainty. Street has picked up plenty of hype lately from defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, so there’s a chance he becomes a real factor. Loving, an undrafted rookie, has also drawn praise from head coach Ben Johnson in recent weeks.
Gallimore looks like the kind of veteran who can give Chicago solid depth, but probably not much more than that. There wasn’t much coming out of training camp about his actual play, which leaves him as something of a mystery heading into 2026.
So yes, there’s reason to be intrigued. But this is still a defense that ranked 27th against the run and managed only 35 sacks in 17 games last year.
The new faces might help. They might even help a lot.
But there’s too much uncertainty here to call the Bears clearly better on the defensive line entering 2026.
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